Model Comparison

Grok Code Fast 1 vs Mercury 2Which is better in 2026?

Comparing Grok Code Fast 1 and Mercury 2 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: Grok Code Fast 1 vs Mercury 2 — which is better?

Grok Code Fast 1 (by xAI) and Mercury 2 (by Inception) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.

On price, Mercury 2 is roughly 1.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Grok Code Fast 1 also accepts a larger context window (256,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose Grok Code Fast 1 if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 256,000 token context window

Choose Mercury 2 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 1.4x cheaper per token
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2026
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

Grok Code Fast 1 and Mercury 2don't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Mercury 2 costs less

For input processing, Grok Code Fast 1 ($0.20/1M tokens) is 1.3x cheaper than Mercury 2 ($0.25/1M tokens).

For output processing, Grok Code Fast 1 ($1.50/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than Mercury 2 ($0.75/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Grok Code Fast 1 is more expensive than Mercury 2.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Wed Jun 10 2026 • llm-stats.com
xAI
Grok Code Fast 1
Input tokens$0.20
Output tokens$1.50
Best providerxAI
Inception
Mercury 2
Input tokens$0.25
Output tokens$0.75
Best providerInception
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Grok Code Fast 1 accepts 256,000 input tokens compared to Mercury 2's 128,000 tokens. Grok Code Fast 1 can generate longer responses up to 10,000 tokens, while Mercury 2 is limited to 8,192 tokens.

xAI
Grok Code Fast 1
Input256,000 tokens
Output10,000 tokens
Inception
Mercury 2
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,192 tokens
Wed Jun 10 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.

Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.

Grok Code Fast 1

Proprietary

Closed source

Mercury 2

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Grok Code Fast 1 was released on 2025-08-28, while Mercury 2 was released on 2026-02-24.

Mercury 2 is 6 months newer than Grok Code Fast 1.

Grok Code Fast 1

Aug 28, 2025

9 months ago

Mercury 2

Feb 24, 2026

3 months ago

6mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Provider Availability

Grok Code Fast 1 is available from xAI. Mercury 2 is available from Inception.

Grok Code Fast 1

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $0.20/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.50/1M

Mercury 2

inception logo
Inception
Input Price:Input: $0.25/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.75/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

xAI
Larger context window (256,000 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Inception
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
xAI
Grok Code Fast 1
Inception
Mercury 2

FAQ

Common questions about Grok Code Fast 1 vs Mercury 2.

Which is better, Grok Code Fast 1 or Mercury 2?

Grok Code Fast 1 (xAI) and Mercury 2 (Inception) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does Grok Code Fast 1 compare to Mercury 2 in benchmarks?

Grok Code Fast 1 scores SWE-Bench Verified: 70.8%. Mercury 2 scores AIME 2025: 91.1%, GPQA: 74.0%, IFBench: 71.0%, LiveCodeBench: 67.0%, Tau2 Airline: 53.0%.

Is Grok Code Fast 1 cheaper than Mercury 2?

Grok Code Fast 1 is 1.3x cheaper for input tokens. Grok Code Fast 1 costs $0.20/M input and $1.50/M output via xai. Mercury 2 costs $0.25/M input and $0.75/M output via inception.

What are the context window sizes for Grok Code Fast 1 and Mercury 2?

Grok Code Fast 1 supports 256K tokens and Mercury 2 supports 128K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Grok Code Fast 1 and Mercury 2?

Key differences include context window (256K vs 128K), input pricing ($0.20 vs $0.25/M). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Grok Code Fast 1 and Mercury 2?

Grok Code Fast 1 is developed by xAI and Mercury 2 is developed by Inception.

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